Sage Advice
by kdinthecity
Summary: It's true that Fire Lords carry a long legacy of dominance and destruction. But if the Avatar hadn't returned when he did, the Phoenix King would have buried the entire world with his fiery wrath. This is the story of how it all began. Rated M for messed up because it's Ozai. Fits in with Darkness Universe, a backstory companion fic to The Dragon and the Wolf/Silver Lining.
1. Ilah

_Born of blood where death means life. The blood moon claims its sacrifice.  
A baby cries, his mother dies. ___Her pain, his fame; Her fight, his plight.  
_ Born of blood, forged in fire. Hope burns to ashes on a funeral pyre.  
Die to live or live to die, the blood moon claims the entire sky._

It's true that Fire Lords carry a long legacy of dominance and destruction. But if the Avatar hadn't returned when he did, the Phoenix King would have buried the entire world with his fiery wrath. This is the story of how it all began.

* * *

Prince Ozai has never liked the sight of blood. Even the mere mentioning of the word has always made him a little squeamish. He won't entertain the thought for long, but he knows this is because his father has told him _repeatedly_ about his birth—how he claimed his own mother's life. _A blood sacrifice_ , the Fire Lord called it. And hardly worth it, he would sometimes add.

As much as he loathes the idea of blood or being called a mother killer, he hates being teased for his fears even more. His older brother, Iroh, has a friend, of sorts, named Satoru who is the worst. Satoru's father is a Fire Sage—the _High Sage_ who conducted the late Fire Lady's funeral. And while Azulon refuses to relive that day, Satoru remembers it and doesn't hesitate to torture Ozai with the details.

Iroh has mentioned the blood moon eclipse before, but it is Satoru who spells it out for him. The teenage menace says there's a saying to go with the omen. _Born of blood where death means life. The blood moon claims its sacrifice._ Ozai pretends this doesn't affect him because it's not like he hasn't heard it before, although perhaps not in poetry form. But then Satoru says that a certain young Fire Prince has inspired an addendum. Ozai thinks his blood actually freezes as it's quoted to him.

 _A baby cries, his mother dies._ _ _Her pain, his fame; Her fight, his plight.  
_ Born of blood, forged in fire. Hope burns to ashes on a funeral pyre.  
Die to live or live to die, the blood moon claims the entire sky._

Satoru becomes even more ruthless after Iroh leaves for military training. So, without his brother around to intervene, Ozai challenges his tormentor to his first ever Agni Kai. No adults try to stop them since Iroh ended up parenting his younger sibling more often than their father did. Ozai is a talented bender for his age, but even an eight-year-old prodigy is no match for a seventeen-year-old future Fire Sage. Ozai tries his best to put on a brave face during his recovery, but it doesn't help that his burns are _blood red_ in their appearance.

Ozai has no interest in joining the army like his brother, but he tells himself it has nothing to do with the blood. And to prove it, he practices. It starts out with small animals, hamster mice and elephant rats mainly. He thinks if the heat of his fire is intense enough, they will simply turn to ash. The smell of burning fur and flesh makes him feel sick at times, but he keeps at it with unwavering focus until one day, he discovers something new altogether. Lightening bending is a messy affair with his first attempts, but once Ozai hones his craft, at the mere age of ten, he is able to stop a heartbeat without leaving any outward trace.

No blood. No burns. No blemishes.

Perfection.


	2. Shyu

Ozai thinks he might finally have something that will impress Azulon. He's been told never to enter the throne room unless expressly given permission, but he figures he needs the space for a demonstration. Surely his father won't mind once he sees the splendor of his son's new lightening bending abilities. The sound from the column of flames that always separates the Fire Lord from his subjects drowns out the opening and closing of the heavy metal door as Ozai slips behind the curtains at the back of the room to mentally prepare himself.

But Azulon has business with someone else at the moment. It's hard to tell from the back of the man's head, so Ozai strains to hear what they're saying. It's Shyu, the newest and youngest Fire Sage, he realizes. He vaguely recalls Satoru talking about him, saying he's the son of the traitorous Fire Sage who pledged allegiance to the Avatar and was therefore executed for his disloyalty to the Fire Lord. Ozai has always wondered why his father needs the sages anyway.

Azulon asks Shyu if he has any prophecies for him. It's an odd question to be sure, but piques Ozai's interest. Prophetic abilities would certainly be a reason to keep such council around. Shyu says that his father's success in contacting Avatar Roku was only rumored, and that he has not sought to follow in his footsteps. Azulon finds this news to be a pitiful shame.

Shyu redirects. He didn't come here to discuss the dubious practice of communicating with the dead. He came here to talk about _the dead_. Specifically how all the guards in a remote Fire Nation prison ended up as lifeless forms with no obvious outward sign of how they were killed. It was as if someone reached in and stopped their hearts, he says.

Ozai thinks he knows how until Shyu says the most shocking thing next. The prisoner was Water Tribe. The young prince knows very little about these people that live at the poles other than they are weak, worthless, and deserve to die. How could one of them have such power— _his_ power?

Azulon does not take the news well, and Fire Sage Shyu barely evades the raging flames. Ozai wishes he could take a human life, but he's only practiced on animals so far, and he wouldn't dare risk failure in front of his father. But he seethes at the fact that Shyu has ruined this opportunity for him.

He decides if Iroh dies on the battlefield, and he ends up Fire Lord someday, he is getting rid of the Fire Sages once and for all.


	3. Hama

**A/N:** Trigger warning. Because sometimes I write this shit when I can't sleep. Welcome to the dark side.

* * *

Despite Azulon's best efforts to conceal the information, news of the Water Tribe woman's mysterious escape spreads like wildfire. She even earns the nickname _The Phoenix._ This is equally curious and disturbing to Ozai because he has a certain fascination with the firebird. Ever since he witnesses his first funeral and actually sees ashes on a pyre, like the words from the blood moon omen that is supposedly attributed to his tragic birth, he imagines his mother's reincarnation from said ashes. It's enough to comfort him whenever he has a nightmare. Or whenever he sees blood and feels his own pulse begin to quicken.

So naturally he wants to know more about why they call this prisoner "The Phoenix," but he can't ask his father. It will infuriate him, no doubt. The only person he can think of is Satoru. They haven't seen each other in a while, but it's not surprising when the soon-to-be Fire Sage answers by calling her a _bloodbender_. Ozai tries to mask his shudder, but Satoru notices, he's sure of it. She's called The Phoenix because that's the name of the prison, the young man adds with a smirk. It's as simple as that. How could the prince be such an idiot?

Ozai doesn't give the phoenix much thought after that until he's sixteen and attends a masquerade ball at the Fire Academy. He only goes because his father insists, and his father insists because it hasn't been a stellar year for Ozai in school so far. He's had a few suspensions for his tendencies toward violence. Ozai refrains from using the phrase like-father-like-son. It does seem to be an occupational hazard of being the Fire Prince, though.

He wears a dragon mask because he can literally breathe fire, and he feels _on fire_ these days. He has no interest in dancing or girls in general until he sees _her._ She wears golden wings and a red mask— _the phoenix_. She is largely preoccupied with other boys for most of the evening, so he decides to follow her when the ball is over. She refuses his advances, though. He's taken aback. Doesn't she know who he is? She tells him she doesn't care if he's royal blood. She's not interested.

Did she have to use _that_ word? Now his blood is boiling. He tells her not to scream or else he'll use his dragon breath to silence her. He singes her golden wings before shoving her to the ground, then demands that the phoenix rise from the dirt and ashes to please her prince.

It's his first time, so he doesn't last very long especially since he takes her so forcefully. He pulls out just before he releases, and as he watches the thick sticky substance spill over his hand, that's when he sees it. The blood. It was her first time, too.

And for the first time, it doesn't scare him.


	4. Ursa

That becomes his thing for a while. The fucking. Usually by force. And usually the first timers. Because he likes taking their virginity—their _blood sacrifice._

I am the power over the blood, he tells himself.

But then he remembers the power of the _bloodline_ , and he knows the Fire Lord would be furious if he muddies it by fathering bastard children. He's been careful, and he always makes his threats. Nothing has surfaced, yet, but he doesn't want anything—or anyone—to come back to haunt him later.

Especially when Iroh has suddenly fallen out of their father's favor for this very thing—pursuing a woman that was not of Azulon's choosing. Ozai knows that it ultimately doesn't matter who _he_ marries, at least not in the Fire Lord's eyes. His purpose is not to create heirs for his father's kingdom. He also knows he will never be able to compete with Iroh's prowess as a warrior.

Ozai takes to the war room instead. Strategy and politics become his focus. And if the prince has anything of merit to offer in his position—it's focus. And determination. He notices that the Fire Lord does not rule his country from the battlefield. Ozai stays close to home, where he can keep his eyes on the throne.

He's forgotten about the role of the Fire Sages until one day Shyu is brought before his father seemingly against his will. The man has the gift of prophecy after all. On the Winter Solstice full moon, Roku revealed to Shyu that the late Avatar's descendant would become the most powerful person in the world. Of course, Azulon would want to align the royal family with such power. Ozai is in full agreement with this plan, especially the part where he undermines his brother and secures the prize for himself.

It is all too easy. Iroh is not ready to marry again after losing his wife in childbirth. Ozai savors the fact that _this_ blood sacrifice has become his gain. He is even more delighted that Roku's granddaughter is a beauty to behold. He puts forth his best effort with her—he is charming and gentle—he _can't_ mess this up. She responds so fervently that during their courtship, he begins to wonder if love is real, and if he might be worthy of it.

But when he sees the blood on their wedding night, he claims her as his own. Because he cannot lose himself to love. He cannot lose control.


	5. Zuko

Ursa isn't as easy to control as he would like. She's mostly compliant, but she's cold about it. He misses the warmth from when they first met, but he's made his bed, and now he must lie in it. There's a part of him he's lost to her, something deep inside, where he knows he loves her. But love means sacrifice, and it's too much. He doesn't know how to give, only to take away.

And the only way he can reconcile this with himself is to think of her as someone else. Someone he couldn't possibly love. He's always had a vivid imagination, so this isn't hard. As a child, his mother visited his bedside countless of times. In his father's throne room, he envisions himself seated behind those flames, calling out his orders and crafting his war.

So, in his mind, Ursa becomes his Water Tribe whore. He thinks back to that one prisoner who got away. This is his chance to control her. To show that the Fire Nation is superior in every way. And this also helps explain why his son is such a failure, too. Because if Water Tribe blood flows in his veins, then he can't possibly be the promised heir of power, Roku's prophecy fulfilled.

His daughter, on the other hand, inspires a different storyline for Ozai's roleplay. For her—through her—he will secure the throne. She is perfection. She is power. A prodigy. Surely Azulon will finally see.

Ozai's fantasy turns to ashes when he discovers one day that there actually _is_ Water Tribe in the royal bloodline. Zuko inherits his weakness from Sozin, apparently, and Ozai fumes at the notion that his grandfather would bed a woman from the South Pole and claim the children as his own.

Sozin did one thing right by killing the oldest, Druk—his uncle he never knew. As for his father— _this_ is the leverage Ozai needs. He's never had the upper hand where his father is concerned, but this secret has been hidden in darkness for too long, he decides.

If this is his plight, like the omen says, then it's time to fight. It's time to bring certain things to light.

* * *

 **A/N:** Reference _Deal Breakers_ for the conversation that happens next. This also aligns with The Legend of Makenna which is presented in both _Burning Passion_ , Chapter 8 and _The Dragon and the Wolf_ , Chapter 6.


	6. Zhao

With war comes sacrifice. And Ozai knows he's paid the price. It started with his mother, of course. He won't forget—he'll _never_ forget—even now that his father is gone and no longer speaks of the day he traded the love of his life for his worthless wretch of a son. Ozai now knows what it means to lose a wife and he, too, blames his son. The same words his own father used falls from his lips, and he sees the light dim in Zuko's eyes. He knows he's destroying the boy, and perhaps that is partly why he banishes him.

There are very few who understand his reasoning behind the Agni Kai. He doesn't have to explain himself, though. His son dared to speak out against him. And Fire Lord Ozai will not lose control. Azulon threatened his life so many times, but ultimately it was the son who overthrew the father. He cannot give Zuko a foothold. He should not continue to fuel the rage. This is perhaps the other reason he sends him away.

Ozai tells himself he has nothing to worry about because the boy is weak. And deep down, he has his mother's tender heart. But he _does_ worry. Because Iroh is with him. And because even though finding the Avatar is supposed to be a foolhardy mission, Commander Zhao brings him the most wonderful and disturbing news.

The Avatar has returned.

But he is merely a child. An airbender. A monk.

Ozai thinks he might just go capture the kid himself, but it's almost too easy. He'll leave it up to Zhao. Who knows? Maybe even Zuko will pull through, although he doubts it. The Fire Lord's way of fighting has always been through manipulation, though. The Avatar poses no viable threat for the time being, so he'll just wait and see.

The next report Ozai receives from Zhao comes with five "prisoners" the commander captures on Roku Temple Island. It appears the Avatar has managed to evade not only Zhao and his men, but also Prince Zuko and his crew plus the Fire Sages who now stand before him. This is outrageous. Ozai is _enraged._

This is his chance to get rid of the Fire Sages. Including Satoru— _especially_ Satoru.

But before he can sentence them to death, Shyu speaks up. In exchange for a lighter punishment, he'll relay another prophecy he received from Avatar Roku. It was another full moon on a Winter Solstice, he says.

Ozai waves his hand to signal for Shyu to continue. He'll be the one to decide if the information is worth their lives.

The Fire Sage stumbles over his words, but Ozai hears enough for his blood to boil and his mind to reel.

 _When the Avatar gets here, there will also be the power that comes with the full moon, the power over the blood._

He now knows that _he_ is the one with the ultimate power. He will defeat the Avatar. He will rule the entire world.

Fire Lord Ozai is no more.

* * *

 **A/N:** Corresponds with _Rising Tide_ , Chapter 6.


	7. Aang

__Born of blood where death meets life; I am reborn, I've paid the price._  
A nation cries, their kingdom dies. Their pain, my fame. Their plight, my flight.  
Forged in fire, The Phoenix King passes; in his wake, hope burns to ashes.  
Die to live or live to die, now Sozin's Comet claims the sky._

Ozai doesn't know how often a blood moon eclipse occurs, but Sozin's Comet only comes once every 100 years. He plans to reclaim his birthright. He is no longer cursed. And he plans to finish what his grandfather started. His family is no longer tainted.

So, the Phoenix King takes flight.

The power of the comet is such that Ozai can literally fly. He's never felt such heat before. The Avatar child doesn't stand a chance.

Except at some point, everything goes terribly wrong. Ozai can't figure out how he's lost this fight, but when the glowing Avatar touches his forehead, he feels a surging power of a different kind. It's all-consuming, like the rage he feels when he's angry. There's an odd tingly sensation, too, almost like the spasm before an orgasm. And then—there's nothing.

He is left with absolutely nothing.

Without his fire, he is reduced to ashes.

He would be better off dead, but the Avatar shows him mercy. Mercy in the form of drab prison walls, highly trained guards who won't dare to speak his name, and food that tastes like the ashes his life has become.

The only thing he has left are his words, and the only one who comes to visit who is still subject to them is Zuko.

He will tear that boy apart if it's the last thing he can do. Perhaps the Phoenix King will rise again after all.

* * *

 **A/N:** Gah, I should probably get back to writing about Hakoda now. But the ideas just kept flowing here. I think it's because I rewatched the finale, and Ozai is just this generic bad guy in that episode. I probably have an unhealthy obsession with his character, but there is so much potential depth to his villainy. Granted, the way I've presented him is not kid-friendly in the least, but none of my stuff is, so there.


	8. Druk

**A/N:** I renamed another chapter so that this one could be more appropriately named. Events here correspond with _The Dragon and the Wolf_ , Chapter 30: Peace Hunt.

* * *

Days and nights blur together and all sense of time is lost. Without his bending, his connection to the sun is severed, too. He is determined to maintain focus, though. Solitary confinement is supposed to _do things_ to a man—a lesser man, perhaps. The Phoenix King will not be broken.

At first, he accomplishes this by tracing war plans with a calloused finger on the dusty floor. He relives his greatest moments in his mind over and over like scenes from a stage play, those damn things Ursa always wanted to go see on Ember Island.

He never went, though.

And upon reflection, they were all actors in his grand production, playing their roles and reciting their lines.

Until they fucked it up. The Phoenix King finds that he is the most aggrieved by the lead actress and her performance. He wonders how he might have recast her and reworks the ending with plot twists so devious, they give him a sick sense of hope.

It must be hope that triggers his decline. And when he decides to entertain the notion of love again, it leads to his downfall. Because no matter how many faces he puts in her place, Ursa always resurfaces in his mind and plagues his nightmares.

Then one day, a new face, a _horrible_ face visits his prison cell. The child isn't real, he tells himself, only a figment of his imagination, a personification of his guilt.

The ghost-like figure calls himself Druk, but with such telltale burn scars, The Phoenix King would swear he is Zuko. Except that he is too young and not fully Fire Nation. And he speaks of peculiar things, like his conversations with Ursa in the Spirit World.

It is surprisingly hard for him to stomach that Ursa is dead. His rage scares the boy away, hopefully for good.

The Phoenix King deteriorates further and faster after that. He figures Azula must be dead, too, his perfect performing princess. Zuko never visits anymore and is probably indulging his Water Tribe whore, tainting the bloodline and tearing down everything his ancestors worked so hard to accomplish. The ashen king decides Druk must be his bastard grandson, destroyed by his own father in a legacy that lives on. A cycle unbroken.

At some point, Ozai strips himself of his title and status. He becomes haunted by the deeds of his past and wary of certain death that looms in the near future. When Druk finally returns, Ozai _knows_ the child is a spirit and fears he's been charged with giving him his last rites.

Druk seems satisfied with the former Fire Lord's submission. His request is simple. Apologize to Ursa.

But in order to do that, Ozai must go to the Spirit World.

Exit stage left without taking a bow. The curtain is drawn on the scene of the Phoenix King. The lights go out.


End file.
